United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (abbreviated as the UK) was a European nation which was composed of the Kingdoms of England and Scotland, the Principality of Wales and the Province of Northern Ireland. Each of these countries were represented on the Union Flag. The Doctor frequently visited the United Kingdom throughout their incarnations. Due to this association, the UK was often the first line of defence against alien invasion. Geography The United Kingdom largely consisted of Great Britain; the largest island composed of England, Scotland and Wales. The province of Northern Ireland was to its west. At one time, the whole of Ireland had been under British rule. The UK was in northern Europe with only the English Channel between itself and the mainland. Climate According to Susan Foreman, the United Kingdom was characterised by short mild winters, with London being a relatively temperate climactic zone. The UK was known for its frequent raining. When it was raining in a Scottish car park, Amy Pond deduced that it must be Great Britain. The presence of rain clouds told the Second Doctor that he, Jamie McCrimmon and Zoe Heriot had arrived in England during the summer. It constantly rained in Cardiff, as well as in Colchester. Wellington was also well-known for its rain; hard, torrential rain was in fact dubbed "Wellington rain". Government : Main article: British government The government of the United Kingdom was led by a Prime Minister who was appointed by a democratic vote. Together, the Prime Minister and ministers formed the Cabinet. The Cabinet traditionally operated out of the Houses of Parliament. Members of Parliament each had their own constituency where they were also empowered by a vote. By 2027, the monarchy had been restored to full power and once again ruled England, and hence the UK. In a parallel UK the Third Doctor visited, the Republic of Great Britain was in control. In a parallel world in which Donna Noble turned right on Little Sutton Street, the UK fell into chaos and an Emergency Government acting on martial law came into power. Military Military power was a significant feature of the UK's prowess. It allowed the British Empire to stretch to far off lands such as India. The British Army formed the primary ground force. Early troops were given the name Redcoats, because of the colour of their uniform. The term "Tommies" was applied to British troops during World War I and World War II. The Royal Navy and Royal Air Force each held their own roles in the military. UNIT also acted in the defence of the UK, largely against alien threats and in association with the Doctor. The Torchwood Institute was formed by Queen Victoria to fight alien threats. As opposed to UNIT, Torchwood was solely based in the British Empire, and later the United Kingdom after 1924. Its success led to it developing an almost mythical state and it branched off into several divisions. MI5 was a similar organisation. Although it was not directly created to deal with alien threats, it still did so upon occasion. It was based in Thames House, London. Whilst Torchwood was beyond the police and unanswerable to the government, the government had its own special division whose remit was the strange and the unusual - the Preternatural Research Bureau, or P.R.O.B.E. By 1994, the organisation was grossly understaffed and underfunded and at risk of having its funding withdrawn, suffering indifference and derision from the government and Scotland Yard. It was still operational in 2015, however. External influence Influence on the Doctor The Doctor had an obsession with the United Kingdom. Most of their journeys to Earth brought them to the UK. For this reason, they had an intimate knowledge of the countries' history and had acquainted himself with many of its historical figures and was even a friend of the monarchy. The Doctor took on much of the UK's culture. They frequently drank tea and even took on the accents, whether English or Scottish. The Eighth Doctor even decided that he was British because of this attachment. When visiting other countries, it was often suggested that he was British either because of his appearance, mannerisms, accent or all three. The United Kingdom was also the most common source of their companions, with the vast majority originating from the region. The Doctor singled out England to be their favourite place, specifically during the 19th century. After the Doctor was exiled to Earth, he lived in the UK and carried on defending the Earth by assisting UNIT in their various operations. While posing as a Human, the Seventh Doctor appeared to be of British nationality, and this was again the case under a similar situation where the Tenth Doctor believed he was British as he became John Smith, a teacher at Farringham School for Boys. In 1963, the First Doctor lived in the UK for some time, enrolling his granddaughter, Susan Foreman, in education. During this time he operated out of his TARDIS which he had stored in 76 Totter's Lane. The Doctor visited the UK throughout its history, from the joining of Scotland to the region's departure from Earth. The vast majority of these visits saw them defending the UK from alien threats, sometimes with the assistance of UNIT. Influence on the Master The Doctor's association drew the Master to the UK and he became trapped there following his imprisonment at Fortress Island. In another incarnation, he chose to run for Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He won through use of the Archangel Network. Like the Doctor, the Master visited the UK throughout its history.